1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to brewing apparatus and methods and, in particular, to brewers which have removable brew baskets and servers with bypass valves to bypass beverage ingredient within the basket.
2. Description of the Related Art Including Information Disclosed under 37 C.F.R. 1.97-1.99
A disadvantage of known high volume coffee brewers is that the brew basket which holds as much as five pounds of dry coffee, after brewing soaked with hot water, becomes too heavy for many servers to safely remove the brew basket from the brewer and dump the grounds to prepare the brewer for a new cycle.
Another difficulty with known high volume brew systems is that a single open protrusion in the wall of the brew basket is provided to hold a portion of the filter away from the sides of the wall of the basket for receipt of by pass water from a single by pass nozzle. Since there is only a single nozzle, the flow of by pass water is at a relatively high volume which can force the filter paper holding the coffee to collapse and thereby disrupt the entire brew cycle.
The principal object of the invention is to provide a high volume brewing apparatus and methods which overcome the above limitation and disadvantages of known high volume brewing apparatus and methods noted above by facilitating removal of exhausted brew baskets and reducing filter collapse into the brew baskets.
The object of the invention is obtained by providing in a brewing system having a frame and a brewer with a water dispenser and a brew basket for holding the brew material for receipt of water from the water dispenser mounted to the frame, a brew basket mounting apparatus having a brew basket support for releasable supporting the brew basket and means for mounting the brew basket support for movement of the brew basket relative to the frame between a first position in which the brew basket, when supported by the brew basket support, is in proper alignment with the brewer for receipt of water from the brewer dispenser and a second position in which the brew basket, when supported by the brew basket support, is removed away from proper alignment with the brewer and at least partially away from the frame to facilitate removal of the brew basket from the brew basket support.
Also, obtainment of the object of the invention is achieved by providing a method of brewing a beverage with a brewer comprising the steps of (a) mounting a brew basket with beverage ingredient to a movably mounted brew basket support when in a loading position spaced from a front of the brewer and (b) moving the support with the brew basket from the loading position to a brewing position in which the brew basket is aligned with the brewer for receipt of water from the brewer. The method of brewing also included the step of connecting a hose to collect dripping water from the brew basket when in the loading position and the step of automatically pressing a top edge of the brew basket against a mating edge of the brew basket to create a seal when the brew basket support moves the brew basket to the brewing position.
Moreover, the object of the invention is obtained by providing a brew basket assembly having a hollow body with water impervious closed wall defining a relatively wide opening at one end of the body for receipt of water into the body and a relatively narrow opening at an opposite end of the body for dispensing freshly brewed beverage from within the body, a filter support basket for support of a beverage porous filter container of a beverage ingredient and means for mounting the filter support basket within the hollow body but spaced inwardly from the closed wall to provide a perimital gap between the filter support basket and the closed wall for passage of by-pass water through the hollow basket and relatively narrow opening without passing through the filter support basket and any of the ingredient supported therein during a brew cycle. The brew basket assembly includes an annular trough carried by the filter support basket above the gap for receipt of water at an upper trough opening and having a bottom with a plurality of drain holes for draining bypass water through the perimital gap.